Sunday, August 02, 2015, 1:29 p.m.

Senate panel weighs voter-ID bill

LITTLE ROCK  A Senate panel is considering whether Arkansas voters should be required to show photo identification before they can cast a ballot.

The Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee was expected Thursday to consider a voter-ID bill proposed by Republican Sen. Bryan King of Green Forest.

The proposal would allow voters to cast a provisional ballot if they don’t have an ID. For their vote to be counted, they must show an ID to county election officials by the following Monday or sign an affidavit stating they can’t show an ID because they’re indigent or for religious reasons.

State law already requires poll workers to ask voters for identification. Voters can still cast a ballot without showing ID.

Voting is a responsibility as well as a right. It is in the public interest that anybody who votes should be required to produce an id, and that anybody voting twice be prosecuted... neither of which seems to be the case now. Part of that responsibility is to obtain an id BEFORE the election. Funny how the US always seems so concerned about the fairness of elections in third-world countries, but many states do not require the same measure of fairness in our own country, ie: Pittsburg, Chicago.

The GOP is taking a page from Jim Crow. Let's see, we don't want some folks to vote, so let's put up barriers. A poll tax will be coming along soon. Laws like these are particularly aimed at urban voters, many of whom use public transportation and don't drive and therefore don't have driver's licenses, the most common picture ID. Makes you wonder if that cagey Tim Griffin is behind it. I say allow a wide range of ID, such as a utility bill, the county voter card, etc. Heck, a utility bill will have your current address on it, while a driver's license may not. My elderly mother-in-law, who always votes Republican, never learned to drive and doesn't have a driver's license. I'd be surprised if she has a photo ID. I sure can't get a picture of her.

Lame excuses by all - I had to travel for work this week and over the course of two days traveling in airports - I was asked for photo ID no less than eight times. What is the big deal?***Want a "free" version for the poor? Make a free version of state-issued photo ID, but not a "free" driver's license. Set financial criteria for being able to get it for "free" and stand by those rules. Anyone not qualifying for "free" IDs based on too much income, who still cannot pay the $5 fee - should be afforded the ability to pay by lay-away or request an arbitration process. There is nothing difficult about either obtaining a photo ID or resolving this issue.***Heck, if the Dems do not want their voters to not be able to vote - then allow the DNC pay the $5 fee for the people who do not qualify as "poor" and cannot get their ID for "free". ***Now, i realize that this does nothing for the Dems wishing to ensure that they capture all of the illegals' votes, because this would actually hurt their case that there ARE no illegals voting. But, they can't have everything. REQUIRE state-issued photo ID please.....for ANY government aid programs, airline travel requirements and yes, even voting booth access.